Paying for GPS Map Updates is Absurd
I love our Shirley, the woman that lives inside our GPS, even though she has an attitude when I miss turns, often is completely wrong, and struggles to get a signal at start up. I do get annoyed at our GPS, but when it comes down to it, I don’t know what I would do without one. The days of unfolding giant maps to navigate is over, which I’m thankful for because I’ve never met one that I could actually fold back up. I remember I was amazed when I found out there wasn’t a monthly fee to use a GPS, what a bargain I thought, just couple hundred initial bucks and I’m set forever—nope.
The area behind our condo is about five years old with all new roads and houses. I would never know this if I only listened to Shirley, my GPS girlfriend to get around. The GPS doesn’t even recognize the roads exist, when I’m driving over there it appears as if I’m on a deserted island. Considering the housing boom and easy credit, there are many nearly new and now mostly empty neighborhoods our GPS could never navigate us to. This can be really annoying when trying to drive to a new buddy’s house or a new restaurant that just opened. The solution is simple, but absurd, purchase new maps.
Updating your maps isn’t a minor or acceptable fee in my opinion, to update our Garmin 350, it cost about $100. Shopping around on the internet, I can now find our actual GPS unit for about $100. This is equivalent to Sony charging you $100/year to allow you to watch new channels on a newly purchased TV. Why can I easily get updated maps using Google Maps for free, but have to shell out more money than Ben’s willing to pay for cable TV or internet for an entire year just to find the new Taco Bell? If I was to purchase the new maps ever year, it would about $8/month, which I would have never agreed to going into the purchase of the GPS. This is about like having satellite radio, which by the way, updates for free.
Don’t get me wrong, I love the idea of a GPS, but if makers like Garmin don’t provide their updates at a more affordable rate, consumers are going to find a better way to get around.
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Comments
Another alternative might be to build a small “carputer” that has a wireless card that could update Google maps and display them on something in the car. You would need a power inverter, a tiny PC case and a decent wireless NIC card. Hmm maybe I will try it…
We should poll what everyone names their GPS units. Now that I think about it, I think Shirley fits ours too. I hear myself talking back all the time: “Surely you have no idea where we are going, do you?”
I have a Mio Moov 200 GPS, and Mio is sending out free map updates this spring sometime. So I’ve got that going for me. I agree completely, having to pay for map updates is silly.
Garmin offers updates. You can buy one for around $75 or you can buy a lifetime subscription for around $120. This lets you update twice a year for the life of the gps. The price may depend on your model. 
I agree entirely two maps upgrades and you spent the same as buying a brand new GPS how absurd is that…I would purchase one get one year free updates with the purchase (i thinks this is standard practice) then go a year without updates saving the money from the free year of updates and the year that you went without updates get a new machine which you’ll get another year free updates and do it all over again plus sell the other one one Ebay and you still recover some money while the other way you get nothing…Anyways, after reading all here I would suggest (and I hope this gets to Google ears) Google would create their own GPS where they would either provide free updates or for a monthly fee let’s say £5.00 they would provide updates, which they have to do anyway now and don’t get our payment for it so that would be a bonus, I am sure would knock the competition out of the water, and if they wanted our business they would have to match or go out of business…cheers!!!
I purchased from Garmin a 2009 map update before I installed it the map was out of date. I found this out traveling through North Carolina on roads that were being constructed and finished in 2008 the update did not show the road. Even today it does not show new overpasses that were completed in 2008. I paid $90.00 for this one time up date what a rip off.
There are no free updates and the roads are always changing. I found my best bet was to use the free GPS that came on my cell phone it is always up to date plus it lets me know where the traffic police are. I live in Israel so I can’t comment on how it works in other countries
omg I call my GPS voice “Shirley,” too! I say, “surely, we will get there.” Lolz.
When she says, “recalculating,” she says it like she thinks you’re a moron. She once had me do a loop through a parking lot.
And I agree — paying for updates like that is crap. It is almost a better deal to just get a new gps. Maybe that’s their goal?